In the spring, before trips I take some wrenchs & check all the bolts that everthing is tight. clean connections on battery & wiring , pull a wheel & check brake & wheel bearings. check all fluids . I have rebuilt the starter & alternator . Check hoses, gas lines & brake lines[ the best I can]. Just give it a good looking over. Hasn't let me down yet .........
Nearly all those items can be left at home it you inspect and maintain the car well. The only things that can't be reasonably foreseen are flats and blown fuses. Everything else that will totally disable the car is so rare - with good preventive maintenance - that a cell phone is a better option than tools.
Hahaha....and you were saying..... Just when you think all is well and you don't check, thats when something breaks.... Murphy's Law....
Ya know, we can pull down a motor between rounds at the track. Its rehearsed Chaos....you have done it so many times, that, its second nature. And you learn to check everything. Its funny....run and rebuild that motor for a full event, all is running top notch, straight into the winners circle....nobody say 'hi', 'bye', 'Kiss my A-s', or 'You Guys are doing one heck of a good job'....Let that Motor blow, you'll get mean looks all weekend
In the spring, before trips I take some wrenchs & check all the bolts that everthing is tight. clean connections on battery & wiring , pull a wheel & check brake & wheel bearings. check all fluids . I have rebuilt the starter & alternator . Check hoses, gas lines & brake lines[ the best I can]. Just give it a good looking over. Hasn't let me down yet .........
Well, if your upkeep on the T is beyond the scope of your abilities, I suggest you call your speed shop if they have a good mechanic on duty, or someplace that they know to cater to their/our crowd. Usually speed shops and car clubs know of such people or have such people within their ranks.
If not or you live in a small town, look in the phonebook to find a person that deals with Hi-perf. cars, there are usually a couple. Have the guy look your car over and see if he's like you as a customer, and you could see if you like his attitude.
If all else fails, go by the Highschool or College Automotive Vo-Tech, and talk .....
There is someone out there that cares about our cars that will be loyal and good, you just have to find them/him/her....
I know of several places to look if you don't find someone....a good tuneup clinic....theres not that much to be done on our cars....motor is exposed, everything is out in the open....pick someplace that does do periodic maint., possibly on fleet vehicles.
This isn't about routine maintenance. I just paid a company to cut out the welded-in crossmember, fabricate a bolt-in member and swap in a newly-rebuilt TH400 for my TH350. Tuneup clinics don't do that sort of thing. For that matter, even the place I took my two front wheels for new tires couldn't do the job correctly. They hammered the weights on the outside, bent one rim, and one of the tires they installed was severely out of round. This is ridiculous, much worse than when I was driving hot rods in the '70s. They talk the talk, but can't walk the walk. That's the problem, and so far I haven't found a good solution.
Only advice I can offer is talk to people... at car shows , the burger joint , the parts store , usually there's a pretty good word of mouth network in a given area of car guy's who know who the go-to guy's are. I'm lucky that in my area there's a few of my old freinds who are still into wrenchin' on cars... all of us were line mechanics at some point in or lives & were into drag racing in the "60's, had hot boats, etc, & enjoy fixing just about anything , cars , trucks , our homes, the mechanical's in our homes & we know the specialized people who will help us out if we don't have the machines , whatever, to do what needs to be done.. ya know... my daughters husband's brothers uncle......... you have to get yourself connected !
dave
This isn't about routine maintenance. I just paid a company to cut out the welded-in crossmember, fabricate a bolt-in member and swap in a newly-rebuilt TH400 for my TH350. Tuneup clinics don't do that sort of thing. For that matter, even the place I took my two front wheels for new tires couldn't do the job correctly. They hammered the weights on the outside, bent one rim, and one of the tires they installed was severely out of round. This is ridiculous, much worse than when I was driving hot rods in the '70s. They talk the talk, but can't walk the walk. That's the problem, and so far I haven't found a good solution.
I agree with you, theres some shoddy work being done out there....BUT....as 2O2F said, theres a good info highway out there. I have retired once, they made me a offer I couldn't refuse, so, as long as I'm enjoying myself....I'm here. The old Mechanics are retiring, dying off, or getting out all together. Theres still a few around, and you have to look for them. A big majority of us are just getting up there.
Theres a guy that I sold one of my cars to, and he's hurting, trying to find someone to work on it. Not alot of folks deal with the old Iron anymore....and after we die off, there will be even fewer....
Know what I saw not long ago? A big japanese V8 out of a sedan in a T....and believe me, it might run good, but it looks mighty UGLY all out in the open. The Guy was looking for a motor cover because everyone was giving him so much grief about it....
When I built mine I made sure to use as many of the same sized fasteners as possible.
I carry a small tool kit that can strip my car to the frame with that kit. I have a post around here that contains the list of things that I have in that kit.
Good night nurse, can't we just enjoy the ride!! Do good PM and just drive the darn thing!! Oh you might want a fifth of Tennessee's finest ( Jack Daniels) to sip on while waiting on the roll back!! You know just to take the edge off! Pure enjoyment I'm just saying!!
Good night nurse, can't we just enjoy the ride!! Do good PM and just drive the darn thing!! Oh you might want a fifth of Tennessee's finest ( Jack Daniels) to sip on while waiting on the roll back!! You know just to take the edge off! Pure enjoyment I'm just saying!!
Yea, BB, its not like the old days....They see ya with a fifth....afraid they'd haul ya in. But yea, stick the foldable chair on the side, make a drink and listen to some Jimmy Buffet waiting on the truck....
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Just when you think all is well and you don't check, thats when something breaks....
